Assig-noe to the hammond type



. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. PRATT.

- TYPE WRITER.

No. 267,367. Patented Nov. 14, 1882.

Fly-Z 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J PRATT.

TYPE WRITER.

Patented Nov. 14, 1882.. Fwd.

N. PETERSv Plloio-Ulhogmphflr, Wamingwn. D12

STATES FFTQ.

PATENT JOHN PRATT, OF CENTRE, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HAMMOND TYPE VVItITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,367, dated November 14, 1882.

'- Application filed February 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN PRATT, of the village of Centre, in the county of Cherokee and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type-Writers, of

which the-following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of typewriters which employ a solid or connected body of types on a plateor carrier, moved together to one point in arbitrary succession and there receiving the impact by which an impression is made upon the paper; and my improvement relates to the mechanism for accomplishing this, to the mechanism for moving the paper so as to form lines of print, to mechanism for reversing this movement for a new line, to mechanism for making the impression, to the mechanism for movinganinking-ribbon from a spool filled and used up like the thread of a sewing-machine, to the device forgiving notice of the near completion of a line, and a device for correcting any errors of printing.

In the accompanying drawings, in which 2 similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a plan of the machine with top of case removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section along line as 00 of plan. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section along line or w of plan. Fig. 4.

0 is a cross-section along line 00 m of plan. Fig. 5 is a cross-section along line 00 x of plan. Fig. 6 is a front elevation. Fig. 7 showsakey and action. Fig. 8 shows side and bottom of segment. Fig. 9is a detailed section of roller 5 and clutch of carrier. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the double-jointed arm.

My machine employs a type plate or carrier of metal or hard rubber, H, preferably the latter, secured to the periphery of a segment 0 of a wheel, and having three or five or seven or any other uneven number of rows 'of types. Fig. 8 is a view or the plate and segment, and shows the arrangement of the types. The segment is fitted to the shaft A, which rocks 5 freely in bearings B and B, screwed to bar 0. This shaft is held endwise firmly in a position such as to bring the middle row of types under the hammer D by means of check-springs E and E, which are adjusted by screws F and F, and press against the rocking lever G-the one above the otherbelow the shaftH, on which it rocks. A pin, 34, projecting from the upper arm of rocker-lever G takes into a grooved collar, 33, on said shaft A, and thereby imparts its own movement to said shaft and the type-plate segment, and holds it steady in its normal position. These screws determine accurately the position of the type-plate, and also serve to adjust the springs so that they do not follow each other, but act independently and equably. Shaft A is provided with arm I, jointed so as to give it a wrist movement to allow the bar 0 to be raised. This arm is linked to the arm of rocker J under the keylevers. The bar 0 projects over the top of the machine-case, and serves as a support for the segment-shaft and other parts. It is hinged to the cross-bar K and is locked in its horizontal position by latch L. A wire, M, fitted at its farther end with a disk, 25, passes through a hinged guide, N, is operated by bellcrank lever 0, link P, and standard Q, fixed in bent lever It, and, through the frame S of paper-carrier, actuates the page movement that is, by rocking said frame it brings the 7 clutch Y, into operation, and said clutch, grasping the rim of wheel X, turns the four rollers upon each other, and thus makes the interlinear spaces. Button-screws T and T determine the position of the disk 25 back of the frame S, and thus regulate the width of the inter-' linear spaces.

The paper-carrier consists of frame S, rocking on rod W, which is the axle of rollers X X of clutch Y, formed of a slotted lever, having a longitudinal and free bearing, 38, by which it is hinged to arm of frame of rubber rollers Z and Z, fixed on tube a, slotted bearings I) and b for tube a, slotted bearings c for the rod 61, and to allow a free action of spring e, which presses the two pairs of rollers together, of the wood slat fand toothed rack g, all sliding on steel rod (1. Said rack and all bearings are secured to this slat, also the guide (slotted finger) h on wire z. Scapement 5 j gears in this rack, and is formed of a shaft, pallets, and two arms, one resting on spare lever 12 and one on frame S. A friction-rin g, k, regulates the tension of a spiral spring, 37, v which assists in the scapement of the pallets. The mechanism of said scapement is secured v to bent lever 1, which is hinged at Z. Driving-- lever m is also mounted on the front end of said bent lever, and is hinged, as shown, and connected by a link, a, to an arm of leverp. Lever 12 forms the crank of a stem g on which is coiled aspiral spring, 26. Ratchet-wheel r and pawl regulate the tension of said spring. Frame 8 is operated by jacks t, mounted upon key-levers. It is notched to compensate varying leverage of key-levers, and a projection therefrom rests upon an adjustable nut, u, so that its position maybe quickly and nicely adjusted so as to just allow the jacks to fall to their places when they have slipped from the frame. The rod of said frame is fitted with a hammer, I), whose position relative to the seg ment is regulated by friction-rings a and o. Ham mer D is formed of a shank-head and an adjusting-screw, which regulates the vertical position of the head and the plane of its striking-face. The spiral spring w, by pressing upon projection 27 from notched levers, operates the same, and thereby the type-hammer D. Said spring is wound upon a stem terminating in a crank, 28, and has a notched wheel, 29. A rigid spring, ."v, lets into said notched wheel, so as to hold it fixedly in any position and yet allow the spring to be wound or unwound. By turning the crank in the proper direction the tension of the spring is lessened or increased, and the force of the hammer-impact regulated accordingly.

There are fourteen characters in each of the three rows of types, and there may be more or less, and the same number of keys and key levers besides the spacekey. Each key controls one of the types of the middle row. This is done through the intervention of adjusting screws 21, which give any desired movement to the one or the other side of the rocker J, one screw moving and the other stopping it, and thus swing the segment through link y and arm I, right or left, until the desired type is broughtunder the ham mer-head. Each operative-key is furnished with two adjusting-screws, which pass through it at right angles to its length and at such a position as to impinge each on the upper face of opposite sides of the rocker J. Said screws are adjusted to project far enough below the keys to hold the rocker and thus the plate-segment firmly in the required position just so soon as the key is fully depressed, and not before. The rocker is always moved from its last position. The farther row of types is brought under the hammer-head by the variation-key z, and the nearer row by the variation-key z. The variatioirkey z is also a space-key. Both levers act through rocker-lever G, and their movements are regulated by adjustable nuts F, on which they rest. Thejacks retract the hammer from the type-plate, from which its normal position is about one-sixteenth of an inch, and at an instant, determined by the adjusting screws 1, let slip the frame S and allow the spring 10 to drive it against the type. At the same moment the frame S oscillates the arm of the pallets resting on an arm thereof,

and allows spring 26, through lever 1), link a, driving-lever m, to move the paper-carrier the distance of a tooth. Driving-le\ 'er m engages the carrier through a slotted catch, M, also, by the same movement the rock-lever 23, that carries pawl 2, resting on frame S, drives ratchet3 the distance of one tooth, and an inking-ribbon, 4, of paper, is drawn a corresponding distance through rollers 5 and 5, pressed together by spring 6, and from spool 7 around pulleys S, 9, 10, and 11. The ribbon is used up like the thread of a sewing-machine. Pulley 11 turns in a hearing which forms part of the bracket 13 and guides the ribbon above and around the rim of the segment, presenting the uninked face of ribbon to the typefaces, and the inked side to the paper to be printed. Upper variation-key, Z, restingon key-lever12, operates the same and through it the feedscapement. A flat rod, 13, hinged to lever m rings the bell, which gives notice thataline isalmost completed. A tooth, 14, hinged in a slot therein and shouldered so as to be movable to the left, but not to the right, engages a catch, 16, on stem 15, raises the clapper, passes on and lets it fall upon the bell 17, the depth of the engagement being regulated by a screw 41, placed under rod 13 in a slot of case in which rod slides, so as to regulate theinstantof thealarm. The key-levers are balanced in metal sockets.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Strike a key in combination with a variationkey nearest to said key, and the type indicated by the index-character opposite said key and ranged in the inner row marked on the variation-key will be brought under the hammer. Strike at key together with the farther variation-keythat is, across an intermediate row of keys-and the type corresponding to the indexcharacter opposite the key struck, but ranged in the outer or farther row of indexcharacters on the variation-lmy, will be brought into play. If a key be struck singly, then the type it indicates will be brought to the hammer. At the moment that this occurs the frame S slips from its jack, the hammer is driven against the type, the scapement acts, the ribbon is moved, say, one threc-humlredth of an inch, and the next key can be struck without waiting, as in machines having no slip movement for each key, until the preceding key returns to its place. The reverse feed movement is made by simply pressing arm 1) back toitslimit. This movement firstretracts the scapement-pallets from the rack to leave it free to move, and this is effected by mounting the scapement on bent lever 1t, hinged as described. As soon as lever B reaches the limit of its movement, driving-lever m brings back the carrier for a new line. Bent lever ltworks in a U-shaped bracket, 40, screwed to its place through a slotted hole, 3 ,so as to regulate and limit its movement. scapement-stem and pallets are mounted in a bearing having a slotted hole, 30, to adj ustits distance from the rack.

To put the paper in the carrier, raise barO, first pressing the latch L till the friction of the IIO latch holds it up in aninclined position. Then present the margin of the paper to the rollers and turn the upper one toward-you. Then press down the bar till the latch snaps.

The scale 18 and pointer 19 enable the operator to bring any letter or space directly under the hammer for correction.

The carrier is stopped at any point desired by'the clutch 20,sliding on wire d, and clamping-wire i with its spring ends 31. The position and action of this stop-clutch are clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The projecting wooden slat 32 of the paper-carrier strikes the arm 31 of the clutch, when the paper is retracted for a new line, and causes said clutch to clamp the upper wire, d, on which it slides. The clutch is formed of a perforated bar of metal with two pendent arms, 31, clasping lower wire, "5. These arms have sufficient spring to preventthe clutch from beinggraduall y shaken from its position. When it is desired to reverse the paper-carrier without making inter- ]inear spaces, raise hinged guide N before reversingfeed movement. If the operator wishes to make an interlinear space without bringing back the paper for another line, he has only to move arm 19 to the right just far enough to move bent lever B as far as the bracket will permit it to be moved.

I do not broadly claim the combination of a type-wheel adapted to turn on its bearings, with connections to finger-key levers, and stop mechanism set in motion by the key-levers to meet and arrest the motion of the type-wheel; nor do I claim a type wheel or segment and a bar connected thereto, and moved by each keyleverindependently,in combination with stops, nor a rod moved independently by any of the key-levers connected positively to the type segment, with stops operated by the key levers; nor do I claim any of the particular matters herein shown and previously included in interference with the application of James B. Hammond.

Having thus described my invention and the mode of operating the same, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a type-writer, a type-carrier adapted to reciprocate circumferentiall y and longitudinally on a central shaft, and having a surface curved about the axis of said shaft, with type on said surface in aplurality of rows, said rows being arranged across the line of the shaft, key-levers and intermediate mechanism, sub

stantially as described, adapted to reciprocate the type-carrier longitudinally and circumferentially, the parts being combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. In a typewriter, a type-carrier adapted to reciprocate circumferentially and longitudinally on a central shaft, with a plurality of rows of type upon the surface curved about said shaft as a central axis, in combination with key-levers, oscillating bars, and lever-connections between said bars and the type-carrier, whereby said carrier is reciprocated in the directions specified, substantially as described.

3. A double-jointed arm, I, in combination with a shaft, A, link a, rocker J, and hinged bar 0.

4. Rocker-lever G, screw-nuts F, and springs E, with their adjusting-screws F, combined with shaft A and variation-keys z z.

5. Variation-keys 22, combined with shaft A and type-segment and rocker Gr.

6. Frame S,notched to compensate unequal leverage of keys, combined with jacks and key-levers.

7. Spiral spring w, notched Wheel 29, spring 01:, and crank 28, combined with frame S and type-hammer.

8. Latch L, combined with hinged bar 0, shaft A, and double-jointed arm I.

9. Spring 26 and stem q, ratchet and pawl 1', link n, and arm 1), combined with driving-lever m and paper-carriage.

10. Benthinged lever It, in combination with driving-lever m and pallets.

11. Arm p, link a, driving-lever m, link P, adjusting-nuts T, bell-crank lever 0, rod M, hinged guide N, frame S, and clutch Y, in combination with the paper'carrier.

12. A paper-carriage composed of clutch Y, frame S, rollers X Z, rod W, slatf, toothed rack g, slotted bearings c and b,spring e, and tube a.

13. Ratchet-wheel 3, lever 23, pawl 2, and rollers 5 5, with spring, combined with spools 7 8 9 10 11.

14. Stop-clutch 20 and wire at, combined with paper-carrier.

15. Slotted rod 13, constructed as shown, combined with stem 15, driving-lever m, and bell 17.

JOHN PRATT.

Witnesses:

D. P. ()oWL, Gno. F. GRAHAM. 

